Grants and Contributions

This project seeks to improve stability and security at the community level in the East, Centre Nord and Boucle de Mouhoun regions of Burkina Faso, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This project reinforces the key role of security governance mechanisms, particularly the role of traditional and community structures, as well as the role of women and youths, in strengthening social cohesion and resilience in the face of security and health crises.
Project activities include: (1) conducting a participative action-research process to better understand the dynamics between the various security mechanisms and the communities, the obstacles, and the opportunities to improve conflict management and prevention and to better protect the population of Burkina Faso; (2) engaging the relevant local stakeholders from communities, authorities and security mechanisms (state, customary, informal) in the chosen regions to build their capacity to manage and prevent conflicts and protect the population; (3) encouraging decision makers to adopt a “conflict sensitivity” approach, integrate gender and youth considerations, and take into account the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on security dynamics; and (4) using awareness and training activities to facilitate the inclusion of women and gender perspectives when developing and implementing conflict prevention, security management and population protection activities.

This project works toward enabling international and regional organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, the World Food Programme, the UN Children’s Fund, the World Health Organization, Peacekeeping Missions and UN Women, among others, to more effectively contribute to peace through their humanitarian, development, and stabilization interventions. The four priority sectors that are targeted are food security, water, sanitization and hygiene, health, and stabilization.

This project seeks to contribute to the implementation of the Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali by making the tools for its implementation—Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR), a joint protection force and local police—more participatory, inclusive, and gender and conflict sensitive. The proposed activities aim to meet the needs of local populations in northern regions, Mopti, Kayes and the District of Bamako. This is expected to be accomplished by establishing mechanisms for dialogue and having stakeholders use them to build trust and to support the implementation of joint actions that bring parties together, strengthen social cohesion and prevent violent conflicts.

This initiative aims to contribute to the peace process by strengthening the capacity of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). The project focuses on conflict sensitivity in project management and increasing mutual understanding between local communities, authorities and the State (uniformed, civilian) and MINUSMA through a process of dialogue, especially in areas surrounding cantonment camps. Project activities include: (1) reinforcing the capacities of the MINUSMA staff on conflict sensitivity approaches and analysis in their actions and supporting the integration of these approaches into MINUSMA projects, including those underway or in development ; (2) improving MINUSMA’s understanding of conflict dynamics and peace in key communities; and (3) improving mutual understanding between the population and MINUSMA, in particular around four cantonment sites in northern Mali, through community participatory dialogues with MINUSMA.sites in northern Mali, will improve through community participatory dialogues with MINUSMA.